Inter and Intracellular mitochondrial trafficking in health and disease

Neurons and glia maintain central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis through diverse mechanisms of intra- and intercellular signaling. Some of these interactions include the exchange of soluble factors between cells via direct cell-to-cell contact for both short and long-distance transfer of biological materials. Transcellular transfer of mitochondria has emerged as a key example of this communication. This transcellular transfer of mitochondria are dynamically involved in the cellular and tissue response to CNS injury and play beneficial roles in recovery. This review highlights recent research addressing the cause and effect of intra- and intercellular mitochondrial transfer with a specific focus on the future of mitochondrial transplantation therapy. We believe that mitochondrial transfer plays a crucial role during bioenergetic crisis/deficit, but the quality, quantity and mode of mitochondrial transfer determines the protective capacity for the receiving cells. Mitochondrial transplantation is a new treatment paradigm and will overcome the major bottleneck of traditional approach of correcting mitochondria-related disorders.